Want To Be A Part Of A New Project?

I’m working on a new project celebrating the ingenuity and creativity of Hustle in communities of color. I want to build a space to appreciate all of the ways in which we get by in a world that doesn’t want us to get by. I’m tired of POC being shamed for the moxie that would be lauded in white people. We are surviving in a world that actively works against us. And our resourcefulness in this world is one that we shouldn’t need to rely on so heavily, but it is also something that we should never be ashamed of. And the world needs to see how hard we work to survive.

I want you to be a part of this project! Were you a young kid of color who found ingenious ways to make some coin in elementary school? What were the cool systems of barter you used in community to meet your needs as a struggling parent? If you have a story of hustle that you want to share, here is the info you need to be a part:

Send your story idea/pitch to me at writewithijeoma@gmail.com. In the subject line, write “Hustle: (a quick title for your idea)”Write a brief summary of the hustle you’d like to include and a sentence or two of why you think it would be good for this project.Include a link to your previous work or a writing sample — NOTE: you do not have to be a published writer to participate. I only want a link or writing sample so that I can get a feel for your writing style.Your race or ethnicity is important to this pitch so please include it. I’m looking for stories of how POC use creativity to survive in a white supremacist society. So, if you are a white person who used a lot of creativity to survive, this doesn’t mean that your story doesn’t matter, it just means that it is not a fit for this particular project.Your story of hustle can’t be one that harms or exploits others. If you got by by being an asshole to other people, we aren’t going to celebrate that here.I’m self-funding this entire thing for now, and don’t currently have any plans to monetize this project. So, the measly $50 per selected essay I have to offer will come from my own pocket until this project is established enough for me to decide if I want to seek out additional funding. For now, it’s just to get these stories out there.Not every essay will be selected. Not everything will be a good fit for this particular project, and even if it all was a great fit — I don’t have that much money. If your pitch isn’t selected, this doesn’t mean that your writing or ideas are bad or that your story doesn’t deserve to be told.If you want to participate in editing or image work on this project, I’ll be putting out posts for people who want to put in some time (also, for a sadly small amount of pay) be a part of that process. Keep your eyes on my facebook page for updates.

I’m excited about this project and I hope you are too! If you have any questions or comments, leave them in comments below.